AirBoost January Development Update & 2026 New Year Illustration

Hi everyone, this is KO (kkll7952) from FilterGame = w =/
The Lunar New Year holiday just ended in February, so today I’d like to share the latest development progress of AirBoost: Airship Knight and wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Steam Store Page https://store.steampowered.com/app/2325390/AirBoost/

AirBoost New Year Illustration

1. Character Voice Acting

Voice acting is a new challenge in this stage of development.

Previously, when producing the promotional trailer, I had already commissioned a Japanese voice actress:

At the time, it was mainly used for the trailer and for testing a few simple lines.

For example, a few dialogue lines or some typical “standard voice lines.”

The commission was done through the Japanese platform iikoe.

However, one problem quickly became clear:

It was difficult to accurately convey the emotional context of a scene in the game.

Even more challenging was explaining the emotional flow of continuous dialogue sequences to the voice actor.

On top of that, the game system itself still needed adjustments, so I once hesitated about whether to include voice acting at all.

But eventually I decided:

“If I want to do it, I should just do it!”

So two months ago, I contacted the voice actress who previously voiced Dorota.

This time we recorded more than 200 lines for the opening story sequence.

The final approach was:

I provided gameplay footage and the full script,

allowing the voice actress to understand the context from the visuals.

And it really showed how professional voice actors are.

Even under these conditions, the performance was excellent.

However, receiving the audio files was only the beginning.

There was still plenty of work to do:

balancing audio levels

adjusting BGM and dialogue

ensuring music does not overpower the voices

This part alone took quite a bit of time.

But in the end, the first full voice implementation pipeline is complete.

Next, we’ll continue recording voices for other characters.

Although the process was challenging, adding voice acting greatly improves the game’s immersion.

I’m also considering writing a dedicated article about the voice production process later.

2. New Mechanics and New Stages

This video mainly showcases some new gameplay elements and small systems.

One of them is:

a companion system that actively moves through the stage.

For example, Agate now jumps forward within the stage, creating the feeling of “adventuring together with companions.”

The game has also added a treasure chest system:

players can obtain money and items

there will also be optional stages focused on earning money

players can use these resources to purchase support items.

The goal is:

to increase strategic depth and exploration while also allowing item-based difficulty tuning.

The drone appearing later in the video is also a purchasable item.

However, when it first appears, it will be introduced through a stage event so players can use it directly.

AirBoost Level Editor Screenshot

↑ Current level editing scene
The stage is already packed with various gameplay elements.

3. Game Completion Progress

Since AirBoost uses linear stage design, every time I create a new stage I tend to add new mechanics.

The result is:

the design keeps expanding and development slows down.

So the current decision is to stop adding new systems.

Instead, the focus will be on:

increasing content volume

completing existing stages

improving overall completion progress.

Recently I’ve also started seriously thinking about how to wrap up the project.

After working on a game for so long, sometimes it’s tempting to avoid thinking about that.

But progress still has to move forward.

So recently I’ve participated in fewer events, focusing more time on pushing the project toward completion.

And thanks to all the friends who keep reminding me to update the devlog! XDD

4. Game Data

Recently, the Steam wishlist count has surpassed 7,000!

To celebrate, we also prepared a commemorative illustration.

AirBoost Dorota Illustration

This time the illustration was commissioned from the Japanese artist あさひな依.

It features our beautiful protagonist, Dorota.

It turned out amazing!

Afterword

Recently I can feel that the era is quietly changing.

For example:

the rapid development of AI technology

changes in the game industry

When we exhibited at G8 and Bahamut events last year, I also heard that former colleagues had been laid off.

It feels like there may be fewer game companies in Taiwan now.

That does make me feel a bit emotional.

But at the same time, many new things are also happening.

So my conclusion is:

focus on the present and finish the work you believe in.

Next, I’ll continue pushing toward the completion of AirBoost and launch a new round of promotion once more content is ready.

And everyone is always welcome to connect and chat!

AirBoost January Development Update & 2026 New Year Illustration

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